The present invention relates to a polymer composition containing a polyphenylene ether copolymer, which has excellent physical properties such as heat resistance, flowability, mechanical property, impact resistance and electric property and excellent acid and alkali resistances.
A polyphenylene ether (polyphenylene oxide) is prepared by condensation polymerization of a phenol compound based on the oxidative coupling reaction. The polymer has good mechanical property and heat resistance, but is not always good in oxidative deterioration resistance, and the molding processing thereof is attended with difficulties. Many attempts have hitherto been made in order to improve these defects. For instance, there are known (1) a process in which a polyphenylene oxide is blended with a vinyl polymer, as disclosed in Japanese unexamined patent publication (Tokkyo Kokai) No. 7069/1967 No. 39346/1972 and Japanese examined patent publication (Tokkyo Kokoku) No. 41021/1971 and No. 17812/1966, (2) a process in which styrene is graft-polymerized onto a polyphenylene oxide, as disclosed in Japanese examined patent publication No. 41102/1972, (3) a process in which a polyphenylene oxide is blended with polystyrene or a high impact resisting polystyrene, as disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 3,383,435, and (4) a process in which 2,6-xylenol is copolymerized with other phenol compounds, as disclosed in Japanese unexamined patent publication No. 104935/1981, No. 104298/1975 and No. 46351/1976 and Japanese examined patent publication No. 11134/1980.
However, the above proposed process (4) has the disadvantage that a polymer having a high degree of polymerization is hard to obtain, and even if a polymer having a high degree of polymerization is obtained, no remarkable advantage in physical properties is seen as compared with a conventional polyphenylene oxide, i.e. poly-2,6-dimethylphenylene oxide. The above process (2) is complicated in process steps and is disadvantageous in this respect. A process advantageous in practical use is the processes (1) and (3). The polymers prepared by these processes are considered to be the most practical, but the oxidative deterioration resistance is still insufficient, since chemical characteristics of a polyphenylene oxide itself are not improved.
In accordance with the present invention, there is provided a heat resistant polymer composition which comprises a blend consisting essentially of (a) 1 to 99 % by weight of a polyphenylene oxide copolymer prepared by oxidative coupling polymerization of a phenol compound having the general formula (1): ##STR2## wherein R.sup.1, R.sup.2, R.sup.3 and R.sup.4 are hydrogen, a hydrocarbon group or a substituted hydrocarbon group,
and at least one member selected from the group consisting of nitrogen-containing compounds having the general formulas (2) and (3): ##STR3## wherein R.sup.5 to R.sup.11 are hydrogen, a hydrocarbon group or a substituted hydrocarbon group, provided that two adjacent groups, R.sup.5 and R.sup.6, R.sup.8 and R.sup.9, and R.sup.10 and R.sup.11 can be joined to form a substituted or nonsubstituted aromatic ring, (b) 99 to 1% by weight of a polymer prepared by radical polymerization of one or more kinds of monomers having at least one vinyl group in the molecule.
The composition of the present invention has excellent processability and oxidative deterioration resistance with excellent heat resistance, mechanical property, flowability, impact resistance, electric property and chemical resistance. Therefore, it can be used for various purposes, and is a resin material of new type usable, for instance, as molding materials, films, sheets and fibers.